Regulations for Modular Initial Degrees

Revised September 2017 and applicable to all students starting Part One or Part Two of their degree from September 2017.

1. Initial degrees (Bachelor’s, Ordinary and Integrated Master’s) may be awarded following successful completion of a modular scheme of study as approved by the University.

2. Each scheme shall be defined as:

Single Honours

Joint Honours

Major/Minor

Ordinary

according to the structures approved by the University.

3. To be eligible for consideration for the award of a degree under these Regulations, a student shall:

have pursued an approved modular scheme of study for the period prescribed by the University, except as provided by Regulation 29 below.

have attained such minimum levels of credit as specified in a Scheme approved by the University.

have fulfilled any further condition(s) required by the University.

4. Schemes of study comprise approved modules, each of which carries a credit-rating, defined in relation to the notional learning hours associated with the module, as set out in the University’s Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS).

5. Initial degrees shall consist of two parts, Part One and Part Two. The University shall establish and publish appropriately rules governing the progress of students between years of study and the classification of Honours degrees. All modules taken in Part Two will contribute to the final degree assessment of each student, subject to limitations set out in the University's CATS. Modules taken at other approved institutions may be accepted in lieu of modules studied at the University.

6. Modules are available at various levels, defined by the University in its CATS.

7. With the exception of students admitted under the provisions of Regulation 31 below, to qualify for an Honours degree at Bachelor’s level, a student must have pursued the equivalent of at least 360 credits, at least 120 of which are normally at HE Level 3/CQFW Level 6, or above. For integrated Master’s awards, a student must have pursued the equivalent of at least 480 credits, at least 120 of which are normally at HE Level M/CQFW Level 7, or above. Full-time students are normally required to pursue the equivalent of at least 120 credits during each academic session, normally on the basis of 60 credits per semester. To permit flexibility and facilitate student choice, a maximum of 70 and a minimum of 50 credits per semester are normally allowed.

8. Full-time Ordinary degree students are normally required to pursue the equivalent of at least 120 credits during each academic year. With the exception of students admitted under the provisions of Regulation 31 below, a student must have pursued the equivalent of at least 360 credits, at least 60 of which are normally at HE Level 3/ CQFW Level 6, or above, in order to be considered for the award of an Ordinary degree.

9. Students may study for awards on a part time basis, subject to the overall time limits for completion of the scheme as set in paragraph 29 below.

10. With the approval of the University, no more than 20 credits of HE Level 0/CQFW 3 modules may count towards completion of Part One, and no more than 20 credits of HE Level 1/ CQFW 4 modules may count towards completion of Part Two.

11. Students will normally be assessed in the period immediately following completion of the teaching associated with each module in accordance with methods of assessment and marking procedures approved by the University.

12. The modular pass mark at Levels 1, 2 and 3 shall be 40%. The modular pass mark at M Level shall be 50%. At the discretion of the Examining Board, Part One students may be permitted up to three attempts to redeem a failed module. They shall be eligible for the full mark on resit. At the discretion of the Examination Board, Part Two students may be permitted two further attempts to resit or to substitute a failed module. They shall be eligible only for the award of the minimum pass mark in each such module, irrespective of their actual level of performance. Additional resit opportunities may be made available by Examination Boards where it is accepted that performance was affected by special circumstances.

13. Subject to paragraph 12 above, where a student has failed a module overall but has passed certain assessed elements, the marks achieved in those elements shall normally be carried forward to any resit.

14. In the case of failed modules, students will normally be expected:

a. To (re)submit failed or non-existent coursework (if deficiencies in this component have led to the failure)Or:

b. to resit the examination (where the student failed or was absent from the examination)Or:

c. to resubmit the assessed work and resit the examination (where a student has failed both parts, or in some cases either part, of the assessment).

Institutes may, however, stipulate different assessment methods for a retaken module than the original approved assessments. Such assessments must still test the module learning outcomes. Institutes shall make clear to students which assessments will apply to them.

15. Students shall be deemed to have completed a module once the teaching associated with it has finished and shall not be allowed to withdraw from the final assessment unless there is evidence of special circumstances (illness or other compassionate grounds) which can be shown to have affected their performance and which has been presented to the relevant Examining Board before it considers their results.

16. Where assessed work is defined as an essential part of a module, Institutes shall clearly specify in the information given to students the penalties for non-submission. Where a student fails to submit assessed coursework in Part Two by the specified deadline there should be no automatic right of re-submission to retrieve a failure.

17. Part One students who fail to complete the year satisfactorily as defined in the conventions, but on whom there have been no adverse reports concerning academic progress, shall normally be allowed to repeat the whole or part of the year as full-time, part-time or part-time external students. Any unacceptable academic practice penalties will normally be retained.

18. In Part Two, a student may not resit any module for which a pass mark has been attained previously. However, Part Two students, with the Institute’s permission, may recommence their second year again on a different degree scheme provided learning outcomes have been met for the first year of the new degree scheme. The overall restriction of three attempts to pass a module (whether newly chosen or previously studied modules) remains, eg. repeating the second year will be considered one of the three attempts, whether modules have been previously passed or not. Capped resits, N indicators, as well as any passed modules that are required, will be transferred onto the new degree scheme. A student may also opt to resit only those modules previously failed. Students may be allowed to substitute new modules for those failed, but these will remain capped.

19. Institute/Departmental Examining Boards shall record clearly where marks have been adjusted and the grounds for adjustment.

20. Students who are absent without good cause or explanation from examinations or who fail because of non-submission of assessed work under rules defined by the University shall suffer the penalty set out by the University. Those who, because of medical, compassionate or other special grounds, have failed or been absent from module assessments, may with the approval of the Examination Board be allowed to resit for the full mark. Such students shall have the option of resitting the relevant modules in the supplementary examination period or the following session.

21. Bachelor’s and Ordinary degree students may fail no more than 20 credits which contribute to the final award classification (excluding Level S Modules). Integrated Master’s degree students may fail no more than 20 credits across Level Two (Second Year) and Three (Third Year) and may fail no more than 20 credits at M Level (Fourth Year).

22. Students who are admitted to a modular initial degree scheme but are subsequently unable, or not permitted, to progress to completion may, depending upon the number of credits attained at the appropriate levels at the time of exit, qualify for one of the following awards:

Certificate in Higher Education (HE Level 1/CQFW 4)

Diploma in Higher Education (HE Level 2/CQFW 5)

Bachelor’s Degree (HE Level 3/CQFW 6)

The University shall establish conventions for the award of these qualifications. Students who temporarily withdraw with the intention of returning to their studies at a later date will not normally be eligible for the award of the Certificate of Higher Education, the Diploma of Higher Education or the Bachelor’s Degree.

23. Students exiting a degree scheme with an Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education under these arrangements shall be eligible for a Pass award only.

24. Initial degree students who have fulfilled the requirements of the scheme shall be awarded the following Honours classes:

First

Second Class, Division One

Second Class, Division Two

Third Class

An Examining Board shall have discretion to determine those initial degree students who, having failed to satisfy the Board for the award of Honours, may be eligible for the award of a degree at Pass level.

25. A student who has qualified for a degree at Honours or Pass Level may not subsequently resit a failed module with the aim of improving the Class of Degree previously awarded.

26. Students who fail to reach the standard required for the award of a degree, but who subsequently redeem their failure in modules to the satisfaction of the Examining Board under Regulation 12 above, shall be eligible for consideration for the award of a degree at the Pass or Honours level, as appropriate.

27. Every student for a modular degree shall complete all prescribed assessment within the following periods, excluding any preliminary/ foundation year:

a. Full-time mode

two-year scheme: not more than four years from the start of the schemethree-year scheme: not more than five years from the start of the schemefour-year scheme: not more than six years from the start of the schemefive-year scheme: not more than seven years from the start of the scheme

b. Other modes of study

Not less than four and not more than ten years from the start of the scheme. The University may specify lower time-limits for individual schemes of study. The above time-limits may be extended in exceptional cases upon approval by the University.

28. Examination scripts and other assessed work shall be retained by Institutes for a minimum of six months after candidates complete each part of their study scheme.

29. Within overall limits stipulated by the University for credit accumulation and transfer, the University may, at its discretion, deem the performance of a student in study previously pursued at another approved institution and/or any prior experiential learning to count towards the requirements for the award of a degree. Such prior study or experiential learning shall be relevant to the scheme to be pursued and shall be credit-rated by the University prior to the student's admission to the University.

The maximum number of credits which may be accepted to count towards an initial Bachelor’s degree of the University under these arrangements shall be not more than 240. Where the maximum transferable credit allowed has been accepted, the remaining credits to be pursued at the University must be at HE Level 3/CQFW Level 6, or above. See the University’s CATS.

Additional Regulations

Special provisions relating to the following degrees:

Integrated Master's Degrees

Scheme of Study

The University has approved the following integrated Master’s degrees:

MArts

MBiol

MComp

MEng

MLaw

MLibArts

MMath

MPhys

MSci

A candidate for an Integrated Master's degree shall pursue a scheme of study of normally at least four academic years comprising a total of 480 credits at levels indicated below:

At the discretion of the University, a candidate for an Integrated Master's degree may transfer or be required to transfer his/her registration to a cognate scheme of study for BSc, BEng or BA at the following points:

a. Either

on accumulation of 120 credits at HE Level 1/CQFW 4;

b.Or, if later

on accumulation of a further 120 credits at HE Level 2/CQFW 5.

Such a candidate shall enter the Bachelor’s degree scheme at the appropriate point and at the latest at the commencement of the HE Level 3/CQFW Level 6 modules.

2.Award of a Bachelor’s degree to students who have accumulated 360 credits in an Integrated Master’s scheme: A student who has accumulated 360 credits, with 120 credits each at HE Levels 1,2 and 3/CQFW Level 4, 5 and 6 or higher, but who:

a. is unable to proceed further with the scheme, orb. fails to accumulate a further 120 credits at HE Level M/CQFW Level 7

may, on the recommendation of the Examining Board, be awarded a Bachelor’s degree at the Honours or Pass level, as appropriate, subject to satisfying the requirements for that scheme.